Pelura Says Groundwork Laid for Md. GOP

In an e-mail to supporters Thursday, outgoing Maryland GOP Chairman James Pelura says his three-year tenure was "an uphill battle in our Democrat-dominated, one-party state." But Pelura, who is stepping down Nov. 14, also takes credit for "laying the groundwork for a rebirth of the Republican Party in Maryland."

Among the evidence Pelura cites is a 4.4 percent increase in registered Republican voters between 2007 and 2008. While there was an uptick in GOP registration prior to the 2008 election, the longer-term view is less rosy.

Between December 2006 -- when Pelura was elected chairman -- and August 2009, the number of registered Republicans in Maryland actually dropped, from 912,024 to 907,743. That is a decline of about 0.4 percent.

During the same period, the number of registered Democrats in Maryland rose by about 11.5 percent -- from 1,740,968 to 1,941,239.

Pelura also takes credit for an increase in total donors to the state GOP and for the creation of "a series of commissions to educate, and to advocate for, the citizens of Maryland," including one on tax policy.

In his e-mail, Pelura also says the timing of his resignation announcement will allow time for potential successors to come forward in advance of the party's regularly scheduled convention in mid-November.

"We still have a lot of work to do," he writes, "but with your help, we can continue to rebuild on the foundation that has been started."

Ummmm...well, Pelura tried to put as much lipstick on the pig as best he could. Still, GOP registration DROPPED in MD during his leadership (how could it be lower?). There AINT NO making that fact look good.